Spitfires’ Crease Battle Grows Entering Final ’24 Preseason Games – The Hockey Writers OHL Latest News, Analysis & More

With the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regular season less than a week away, the Windsor Spitfires have a classic crease jam. It’s going to be a focal point over their final preseason weekend and there are no guaranteed spots.

Last season, the Spitfires allowed 360 goals in 68 games, the most in the OHL, the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL), and the most in the organization since they allowed 379 in 70 games in 1983-84. It was a combination of a very inexperienced defence plus shaky goaltending. Fast forward to now and changes may be coming to the crease. They have three goaltenders remaining in camp who could all earn a spot. It’s making life challenging for general manager Bill Bowler. Let’s look at each goaltender.

3. Veteran Joey Costanzo

Acquired from the Niagara IceDogs in September, 2022, the now-19-year-old Joey Costanzo should be the clear-cut favourite. However, that’s not necessarily the case.

In 2022-23, Costanzo, then 17, joined 20-year-old Mathias Onuska as a tandem. In 40 games, he sported a 3.03 goals-against average (GAA) and a .901 save percentage (SV%) and everything seemed to be okay. Unfortunately, the first-seeded club lost in the first round to the eighth-seeded Kitchener Rangers, creating a whirlwind of frustration around the team.

Costanzo came into 2023-24 with high expectations. Unfortunately, he had a very raw defence in front of him with four of the seven regulars combining for fewer than 15 OHL games played. The result was simply bad – a 5.09 GAA and .855 SV% in 39 games. It was a combination of the inexperienced defence and Costanzo having more off nights than anyone was used to. However, now he has a chance to get redemption.

He enters 2024-25 with something to prove. Everyone knows he’s better than his stats showed last season but he has to back that up, too. He’s only played 40 minutes during the preseason, allowing five goals on 26 shots in an eventual win over the Sarnia Sting on Tues., Sept. 17. His defence didn’t do him any favours but he’s likely hungry for more. This weekend will be a golden chance for him to show he’s not backing down from the starter’s role.

2. Rookie Carter Froggett

Every so often, you get a player in camp who has “he deserves a shot” written all over him. This season, that’s the 18-year-old Carter Froggett.

The Spitfires’ sixth-round pick in 2022 has had quite a journey. In 2022-23, he made a great impression at camp but the team felt he needed to play as often as possible. They sent him to the London Knights Under-18 AAA where he got into 20 games. That followed with another solid showing at the 2023-24 Spitfires’ camp. A spot seemed possible but, instead, the team went with Costanzo and back-up Ian Michelone, 19. Fortunately, Froggett joined the London Nationals’ Junior B where he had a 2.64 GAA and .914 SV% in 25 games. He also got called up to the Spitfires when Costanzo couldn’t play and didn’t look out of place.

Windsor #Spitfires' 2022 6th-round pick G Carter Froggett made his #OHL starting debut against the Kitchener #Rangers on Saturday night at the WFCU Centre. #THW pic.twitter.com/iAnGVQgrl2

— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) November 19, 2023

We fast forward to this season and Froggett is eager to show he’s worthy of finally getting a spot. He came into camp at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds, showing he’s putting in the work from his 6-foot-2, 186-pound draft measurements and he’s not looking to go anywhere. Through 60 minutes (the most of any Spitfires’ goaltender), he has a 3.00 GAA and .875 SV%. He has looked poised, confident, and athletic, showing he not only wants a spot, but deserves one.

Related: 5 Stories to Watch at Windsor Spitfires’ 2024-25 Training Camp

In this final weekend, he’s likely to get plenty of ice for that final push. It won’t be easy for anyone to convince Bowler that Costanzo can be nudged out of the starter’s role but Froggett is going to give it his best. If anyone in camp has deserved it, it’s him.

1. Rookie Jake Windbiel

The Spitfires are very high on 16-year-old Jake Windbiel. Drafted in the seventh round in April, he comes advertised as a highly-touted, athletic goaltender who’s raw but has a limitless ceiling. We’re getting a small taste of that right now.

Last season, the Elk Grove Village, Illinois native played for the Chicago Mission 15U AAA team. The NCAA was an option but Bowler convinced him that the OHL was the best route for him. Now he’s here and making a legitimate case for a spot.

Windbiel looked comfortable during May’s draft orientation weekend and came into this season’s camp ready to show he could hang with the older guys. So far, it’s been mission accomplished. In 50 minutes, he has a 2.38 GAA and .926 SV%. He uses his large frame to create issues for shooters and his agility is impressive for a big man. He’s also making it difficult on Bowler as 16-year-olds don’t often make the roster, even after solid preseasons (see Froggett as an example.) It’s creating a goaltending jam that is somewhat bittersweet for the organization.

It should be noted they have 17-year-old Michael Newlove still listed on their preseason roster but he has since been playing for the Georgetown Raiders (Ontario Junior A).

The Spitfires have two final preseason games left. They play the Flint Firebirds on Thursday evening at the Vollmer Complex in LaSalle, just West of Windsor. On Saturday, they take on the Niagara IceDogs in Lakeshore, which is just East of Windsor. They’re home to the Spitfires’ Junior B and C affiliates, respectively. Their regular season starts Wednesday, Sept. 25 on the road when they meet the Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit.

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